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BZA approves lot-coverage variances for 215 College Ave after developer trims building height
Summary
After months of redesign and planning-board input, the BZA approved two small lot-coverage variances for a through-block Collegetown project at 215 College Ave, citing steep site topography and design concessions made by the developer.
The Ithaca Board of Zoning Appeals on Sept. 2 approved lot-coverage variances for a multi-building development at 215 College Ave, allowing the project to exceed maximum permitted lot coverage in two zoning districts after the developer reduced the building height and made other design concessions.
The project occupies a through-block site that crosses two zoning districts (MU-1 and CR-4) and is adjacent to a designated historic property at 209 College Ave. The developer and design team told the board they had removed a previously requested height/story variance and reduced a CR-4 building by one floor after grade-plane calculations driven by a roughly 20-foot elevation change made the original design infeasible.
Project presenters said the current request seeks a 3.5 percent lot-coverage variance on the MU-1 portion of the site and a 6.7 percent variance on the CR-4 portion. They also emphasized that the project exceeds green-space requirements on both sides (projected ~12.1% green space on the MU-1 portion and ~31.4% on the CR-4 portion) and that they had cut back a corner of the building next to the historic neighbor to preserve views.
Neighbor David Beer, who lives at 209 College Ave, spoke during public comment to ask whether the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission had been consulted; staff and the applicants said the ILPC provides advisory reports to the planning board and that the developers had worked with the planning board and the adjacent property owner during design.
Board members debated tradeoffs tied to the unique topography, existing zoning reform that affected allowed heights in the district and whether the project could be redesigned to be fully compliant without the variances. The development team presented calculations showing the project lost substantial floor area when the CR-4 side lost a story and that the lot-coverage variances would not fully replace the lost square footage but would help recover some program area. The team also said balconies account for roughly 600 square feet of the proposed lot coverage.
A motion to approve the appeal (variance request for 215 College Ave) passed on a roll-call vote of 5-0 (Michael Cannon, Donna Fleming, Joseph Kirby, Andre Gardner and David Barkin voting yes). The board directed staff to finalize the written decision and forwarded approvals needed for subsequent site-plan and building-permit steps.
The applicants indicated they had worked extensively with planning staff and the planning board and that the project team made concessions (removing a story, adding public amenity space at the College Ave corner and increasing certain facade treatments) to respond to earlier feedback.
